Tag Archives: Christina McMenemy

Guilt-Free Holiday Baked Goods Substitutions

Christina is a mom, registered nurse, and blogger. She fully admits to both a love of too much food and a love of the couch, two vices she struggles to overcome on a daily basis. In the past two years, she’s lost nearly 50 pounds through diet and exercise, some of it chronicled on her blog, Losing My Hind.

Confession: baked goods are my downfall. Muffins, cakes, brownies, breads, cupcakes…just thinking about them makes my mouth water and my pants feel tight. Any weight gain in my life has never been without yummy baked treats playing a featured role.

Of course, at no other time of the year are baked goods as tempting and as abundant as the holidays. Christmas lights and cold winter nights seem to go perfectly with warm, cinnamon-scented goodies. Swearing them off entirely would be impossible, and would likely only lead to a binge during a moment of weakness. So instead, I try to limit myself to small, frequent indulgences and use some tips I learned from Weight Watchers to bake up healthier versions of my favorite snacks.

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Posted on November 18, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Should Parents of Obese Children Lose Custody?

In an opinion piece that ran last week in the Journal of American Medicine, Harvard University child obesity expert Dr. David Ludwig set a fire when he called for parents to lose custody of their obese children.

“In severe instances of childhood obesity, removal from the home may be justifiable, from a legal standpoint, because of imminent health risks and the parents’ chronic failure to address medical problems,” Ludwig said. Ludwig goes as far as to compare obesity to extreme child abuse. The thought is not without precedent: More than 10 years ago, 3-year-old Anamarie Regino was taken from her parents and placed in foster care simply because she weighed 90 pounds. When questioned about this case, Ludwig admitted that “state intervention is no guarantee of a good outcome, but to do nothing is also not an answer.”

Ludwig has received heat for this point of view, and he’s since clarified his position. He said in later publication that in 99% of the most severe cases, he would not recommend that an obese child be removed from the home. He further explained that state intervention could include financial support to families, social services, access to safe recreation areas and even parenting courses to help manage a child’s uncontrolled eating habits. “The ultimate answer to the obesity epidemic is not to blame parents, it’s to create a more healthful and supportive society,” Ludwig said.

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Posted on July 25, 2024 by Carmen

Turn Summer Fun Into A Fun Workout

Christina is a mom, registered nurse, and blogger. She fully admits to both a love of too much food and a love of the couch, two vices she struggles to overcome on a daily basis. In the past two years, she’s lost nearly 50 pounds through diet and exercise, some of it chronicled on her blog, Losing My Hind.

Hooray for summer! With school out and the weather sunny and warm, my kids are always begging me to take them to the playground or go do something fun. (Because, of course, being at home is completely no fun at all.) As much as my daughters are enjoying their free time, I’m finding myself stressed out about not having enough time in my day. They may have no responsibilities, but I still have to go to work, buy groceries, do housework, and maybe find time for myself to exercise – all in addition to keeping my two little darlings entertained.

One time saver I’ve been trying to incorporate is taking the time to join in on summer activities with my kids. No, not just sit on the patio while they run through the sprinklers – I mean actually getting up and running through it with them. Think about it: not only do your kids get to have fun and spend time with you, but if done right, you can cross your workout for the day off your to-do list at the same time!

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Posted on July 12, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Bust Through a Plateau with Diet and Fitness

Christina is a mom, registered nurse, and blogger. She fully admits to both a love of too much food and a love of the couch, two vices she struggles to overcome on a daily basis. In the past two years, she’s lost nearly 50 pounds through diet and exercise, some of it chronicled on her blog, Losing My Hind.

Most people who are actively trying to lose weight hit a plateau now and then. You’re working hard, losing weight as a result, and then suddenly all of that progress stops and you wonder if your scale is broken because it’s been displaying the same number for weeks.

Plateaus are often the body’s way of recalibrating and adjusting to the changes you’ve brought about. But if you’re like me, you can only handle a plateau for so long before you get a twitchy eye and the urge to throw your scale through the bathroom window. I was recently stuck at a plateau for over a month, which felt like years to me, and anyone who had to listen to me rant about it.

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Posted on June 25, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Sweat It Out With Fitness DVDs

Christina is a mom, registered nurse, and blogger. She fully admits to both a love of too much food and a love of the couch, two vices she struggles to overcome on a daily basis. In the past two years, she’s lost nearly 50 pounds through diet and exercise, some of it chronicled on her blog, Losing My Hind.

So I recently wrote about why you should consider adding a group fitness class into your exercise plan if you’re only using DVDs for your exercise. However, I don’t want to present workout videos as something to avoid – after all, it was thanks to those DVDs alone that I lost my first 20 pounds. Without that in-home solution, I may never have started on my journey to get fit and lose weight.

Recorded workouts are a great addition to any fitness regimen, and thanks to the wide variety of DVDs available today you can find one for any skill level. If you haven’t tried a workout DVD yet, here are a few reasons you might want to pick one up soon.

You’ll never find another instructor-led workout this cheap. Yes, there are plenty of workout DVD “systems” that require a first born child as down payment for their services, but the average fitness DVD costs $10-20. Since the plan is to use it more than once, you can almost guarantee you’ll pay less per session than you would for any group class you sign up for. Consider the costs of your gym membership if your gym provides free group classes. Also, many DVDs now contain more than one workout, giving you even more value for your money. If you’re worried you may not like the DVD, see if your local library has a copy to borrow or rent it from Netflix first to try it out.

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Posted on May 14, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Tips to Get Bathing Suit Ready Fast

Christina is a mom, registered nurse, and blogger. She fully admits to both a love of too much food and a love of the couch, two vices she struggles to overcome on a daily basis. In the past two years, she’s lost nearly 50 pounds through diet and exercise, some of it chronicled on her blog, Losing My Hind.

Bathing suit. *shudder*

In the past, just the words made me want to hide under my bed until the back-to-school sales started. I’d specifically avoid any events labeled “pool party” just to protect myself from being seen in a bathing suit. When I did need a suit, I’d agonize over shopping for one. After gaining a lot of weight post-baby, I purchased bathing suits with an eye on coverage, not fashion. Which of course meant I always went right for the skirted suits. The bigger the skirt, the better.

Let’s be honest, though: if you actually want to swim, bathing suit dresses are not comfortable. The fabric floats oddly in the pool, and when you get out the cold, wet fabric sticks and clings to your legs.

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Posted on April 29, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Try a Group Fitness Class to Avoid Workout Boredom

Christina is a mom, registered nurse, and blogger. She fully admits to both a love of too much food and a love of the couch, two vices she struggles to overcome on a daily basis. In the past two years, she’s lost nearly 50 pounds through diet and exercise, some of it chronicled on her blog, Losing My Hind.

Before this year, I was devoted to fitness DVDs. I felt too self-conscious to consider joining a group class or even wear anything tight-fitting in public. Looking ridiculous in the privacy of my own home suited me just fine.

But in January, I was tempted by an incredible Groupon deal for a 6-week boot camp class at a local fitness studio and made the decision to try something new. At the time my progress had stalled using my workout DVDs so I was willing to try nearly anything to jump start my weight loss, even if it meant a group class.

Now, twelve weeks after starting those classes, I’ll confess that I’m addicted! If you’ve never taken a fitness class, consider these benefits of joining a class:

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Posted on April 24, 2024 by GuestBlogger